Frederik Ramm

The mapping of access restrictions is often neglected, but access restrictions (and default assumptions about whether a path without any such information is usable or not) are important to make OSM safe to use.

OpenStreetMap has grown from a geeky niche project to a respectable data source powering a multitude of apps and web sites. Our ethos is to “map reality”, and our approach is incremental – one person might trace something from aerial imagery, another person might add a street name from their own local knowledge, and a third person surveys and records a speed limit on a visit to the area. Many paths, trails, and streets have access restrictions that may not be apparent from aerial imagery. These could range from oneway traffic rules to restrictions on certain types of vehicles, to “no dogs allowed”, or something could be entirely private, or in a military danger area. End users of OpenStreetMap based services are often insufficiently informed about access restrictions, leading to a rising number of complaints from land owners or otherwise responsible individuals, and frequent requests to “immediately remove from OSM” a certain object. This can either be due to missing access restrictions in OSM, or due to existing access restrictions not being correctly interpreted by the platform using OSM data. This talk intends to take stock of the current situation in OSM and major data-consuming apps, and make some recommendations aimed at both mappers and data consumers in order to reduce the risk of leading users down the wrong path. The author is a member of OpenStreetMap’s Data Working Group which handles incoming complaints.

When people come to OpenStreetMap for the first time, their expectations are sometimes at odds with what the OpenStreetMap community is doing. If you have been puzzled by an OSMer telling you that OpenStreetMap is not a map, that openstreetmap.org is not aiming to compete with Google Maps, or by their stubborn refusal to remove a private trail from the map, then this talk is for you. It will explain the basic tenets of the OpenStreetMap community and how they apply in practice.

This talk will explain some of the often-heard but little-documented basic concepts in OSM, like * we are not a map (but a database) * the map does not matter (the community does) * openstreetmap.org is not aimed at the public (but at mappers) * we map what's on the ground (not what the government or the landowner wants) Building on that, the talk will also outline why the OSM community is often skeptical about filling an empty map with data imports, about AI contributions, or about automatic edits, and why OpenStreetMap is not a business directory. The plan is to explain the basic ideas and give examples of their effects for data users or for everyday mapping practice. Where the concepts are controversial or subject to discussion, these controversies will be mentioned but not followed in depth. This talk will focus on "traditional" values in OpenStreetMap because they are omnipresent. After hearing these explanations, newcomers will have a better chance of understanding where people come from when they say things like "we are not a map", and will be better prepared to form their own opinion.

This session provides an entertaining yet informative introduction into everything you need to know about OpenStreetMap.

If you're new to OpenStreetMap, or maybe just know a little, then this session will fill you in on everything you need to know about OpenStreetMap. How did it start? How does it work? How can you contribute, and how can you use the data? What is this "Mapnik" think I keep hearing about and why do people always look at me funny when I say the license should be changed? OpenStreetMap is not just a database or a web site; it is a living and breathing project with a huge community and a 15-year history. Rather than just showing a sequence of slides, this session will be a tour de force presented by many different individuals, where entertaining dialogue is interspersed with hands-on short demonstrations and explanations. Attendees will leave this session with a good idea of how OSM works, of how they can contribute to OSM, and of how to use its wealth of data for making their own maps or just counting post boxes in their home town. But they will also see that OSM is very much about human beings. They will learn how to become part of the community of map makers, code writers, and general activists that make OSM into the great success it is today.

Other people: Thomas Skowron

Viele OpenStreetMap-Nutzer sind erstaunt, wenn sie hören, dass jede(r) einfach alles ändern kann. Geht da nicht ständig etwas kaputt? Treiben da nicht Teenager ihren Schabernack mit den heiligen Geodaten? Dieser Vortrag analysiert die Risiken und gibt Handlungsempfehlungen.

Viele OpenStreetMap-Nutzer sind erstaunt, wenn sie hören, dass jede(r) einfach alles ändern kann. Geht da nicht ständig etwas kaputt? Treiben da nicht Teenager ihren Schabernack mit den heiligen Geodaten? Tatsächlich lassen sich viele humorvolle und auch weniger lustige Beispiele aus der Vergangenheit von OpenStreetMap finden, in denen etwas, das auf die Karte gehört, kaputt gemacht, oder etwas, das nicht auf die Karte gehört, dazuerfunden wurde. Wie schwerwiegend sind solche Vorfälle für verschiedene Anwendungsfälle von OpenStreetMap-Daten? Wie häufig kommen sie vor? Und: Welche Maßnahmen kann man ergreifen, um das Risiko zu mindern?